Or, How Speaking Your "Why" Can Help You Write - It's been proven that if you give people reasons why they should or shouldn't do something, they'll be more likely to do it. Here's how you can use this bit of psychology to help you write more.
That's really interesting -- your "write purely to pursue my own interests". It's similar to writing for your own enjoyment, but I think it's slightly different. This speaks more to curiosity and learning in general, not just playing with words and honing your craft.
That's one of the big things I love about my writing day job -- the amount of research and exploring new topics I get to do. I never really thought of it in terms of my fiction writing, but of course it's there. I put in hours and hours of research for each novel I've worked on so far. It's certainly as enjoyable as the creation part itself.
It’s interesting that “to pursue my own interests” thing caught your eye, because it caught mine too when I went back and re-read it. I probably would rework it a bit now, to emphasize that my past writing has been to support other (ie, business) interests, and that my interests now are personal and not commercial. Ah well, a trivial matter. It’s been useful for me to read your essay and mind and reflect ...
Yes, I didn't make the connection right off in my own writing life until I read that. I guess that's part of what these Substacks are all about: getting insights from others and growing together.
As soon as I read this post, I made my list of "why" I write. As I struggle at this time to sit down and write, I often contemplate why I "should". I hope by reminding myself how much joy I get from playing with words and sentences and structure and ideas (aesthetic enthusiasm) I will return to the fun of writing and the rush of excitement when a piece takes hold. Thank you for the prompt in yet another fabulous blog post.
Yes, the "why" is sometimes elusive. I'm certainly not immune to serious bouts of thinking, "why bother?" when I sit down to -- for example -- the novel that I'm working on.
But joy -- that is exactly it! Will I publish said novel? Maybe. I certainly hope so, and I'm working towards that. But will it define my success? Probably a little bit, but I'm going to try my darnedest not to let it. Because ultimately it's that act of creation that I enjoy most.
If you're having fun writing, you've already won.
Looking forward to reading (or watching) what you create next!
Funny, I wrote a piece answering this exact question back in March. I can see parts of all the reasons you mention, but for me it comes down to this: I write to explain the world to myself, and in so doing to connect with others. Here’s the piece: https://tompendergast.substack.com/p/explaining-myself-to-myself-and-to?r=ofba&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thanks for the link Tom!
That's really interesting -- your "write purely to pursue my own interests". It's similar to writing for your own enjoyment, but I think it's slightly different. This speaks more to curiosity and learning in general, not just playing with words and honing your craft.
That's one of the big things I love about my writing day job -- the amount of research and exploring new topics I get to do. I never really thought of it in terms of my fiction writing, but of course it's there. I put in hours and hours of research for each novel I've worked on so far. It's certainly as enjoyable as the creation part itself.
Great insights -- thanks for sharing that!
~Graham
It’s interesting that “to pursue my own interests” thing caught your eye, because it caught mine too when I went back and re-read it. I probably would rework it a bit now, to emphasize that my past writing has been to support other (ie, business) interests, and that my interests now are personal and not commercial. Ah well, a trivial matter. It’s been useful for me to read your essay and mind and reflect ...
Glad you found this post useful, Tom!
Yes, I didn't make the connection right off in my own writing life until I read that. I guess that's part of what these Substacks are all about: getting insights from others and growing together.
Thanks again!
~Graham
As soon as I read this post, I made my list of "why" I write. As I struggle at this time to sit down and write, I often contemplate why I "should". I hope by reminding myself how much joy I get from playing with words and sentences and structure and ideas (aesthetic enthusiasm) I will return to the fun of writing and the rush of excitement when a piece takes hold. Thank you for the prompt in yet another fabulous blog post.
Thanks Susan!
Yes, the "why" is sometimes elusive. I'm certainly not immune to serious bouts of thinking, "why bother?" when I sit down to -- for example -- the novel that I'm working on.
But joy -- that is exactly it! Will I publish said novel? Maybe. I certainly hope so, and I'm working towards that. But will it define my success? Probably a little bit, but I'm going to try my darnedest not to let it. Because ultimately it's that act of creation that I enjoy most.
If you're having fun writing, you've already won.
Looking forward to reading (or watching) what you create next!
~Graham